Zeichner typically recommends washing your face twice per day, in the morning and before bedtime. But going to bed with clean skin is a must.
While forgetting to wash your face for one night is unlikely to cause lasting damage to your skin, one night is all it takes to clog pores and cause a breakout. Makeup left on skin overnight can prevent the skin from “breathing,” and can also inhibit the skin's process of repair and regeneration while you sleep.
Both Emer and Zeichner agree that if you're only going to wash your face once a day, nighttime is the best time to do it. "Most dermatologists recommend face-washing twice daily, once in the morning and once before bed," says Zeichner.
You do not need to wait until right before bed to wash your face. Starting your nighttime skincare routine at 7pm or 8pm will make you less likely to skip it. Even if you do not wear makeup every day, you might have touched your face all day long and that makes it the dirtiest part of your body.
Throughout the day your skin attracts dirt and pollution which will not simply “go away” at night. When you wash your face thoroughly, you free it from impurities that can create problematic skin and allow it to heal and repair. Clean skin while you sleep is so important for the natural cycle of cell regeneration.
Most people make a habit of letting their skin breathe by washing off their makeup and/or the residue from the day before bed, which may be enough “breathing” to give most complexions the break they need. If you're not washing your face before you go to sleep, it's time to start!
Can you leave cleanser on your face overnight? That's something we certainly wouldn't recommend. If you like the idea of leaving something on your face overnight, have read of this article on 4 At-Home Overnight Skincare Treatments That Are (Almost) as Good as a Facial.
In an ideal world, you should wash your face twice a day.
Experts agree that two is the magic number: wash once in the morning, and once at night.
In general, you should be cleansing your face at least twice a day. “You should wash your face both morning and night because the skin creates sebum and oil throughout the day,” says Saya Obayah, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist located in Austin, Texas.
You may be using unnecessary products. "Some people may just not be genetically predisposed to breakouts or may produce less [oil],” says Batra. If that sounds like you, you may actually find your skin looks better when you ditch your cleanser.
Benefits of not washing your face in the morning
My dermatologist explained to me that skipping my morning cleanse could help with my skin's dryness, as it would be one less thing stripping my skin of its natural oils (even though I was using a hydrating cleanser).
By cleansing with water only, you're less likely to over-strip the skin's natural oil and therefore reduce the risk of damaging your skin barrier. Cleansing your face with water only not only reduces the oil-stripping action but also the physical rubbing action, which would reduce irritation to the skin.
“You should wash your face in the morning for various reasons,” she says. “Bacteria can accumulate throughout the night and, also, you should prime your skin by cleansing it for your morning skincare routine, not to mention to remove your nighttime creams and serums used the night before.”
Your body boosts blood flow to the skin while you snooze, which means you wake to a healthy glow. Skimp on sleep and your complexion can look drab, ashen, or lifeless. “Sleep deprivation causes a decrease in blood flow to the skin surrounding your face,” Breus says.
While almost everyone knows that around seven to eight hours of sleep is essential for healthy skin, the time of sleep also matters. The best time to sleep for healthy skin is between 9 PM to 11 PM. If you wake up early, hit the bed by around 9-9.30 PM.
Keep gentle cleansing cloths on your nightstand and in your travel bag. When you're too tired to do your normal facewash routine, cleansing cloths pinch-hit to remove pore-clogging debris, oil, and makeup. The quick 30 seconds it takes can make all the difference for your skin.
"Life happens sometimes, so going a day without washing your face will not totally ruin your skin—but making a bad habit of not doing so most days leads to a cascade of poor outcomes in your skin health," Dr. Adeline Kikam, DO, MSc, FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist and the founder of Brown Skin Derm, says.
The texture was the biggest change: When you don't wash or exfoliate your skin, a layer of dead skin builds at the surface, and after three weeks of that skin sitting on top of your face, the texture really begins to change.
“A toner or toning lotion can be even better than washing in the morning,” says Carlen. “This is because your day cream penetrates better when your skin is damp but you don't want to strip your skin just to put nutrients back in.”